Devils' 2-1 OT Win vs. Flames: 2 Crucial Points

The New Jersey Devils could not afford to drop points against the Flames, but they got the job done in overtime.

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Even when the New Jersey Devils win, it always feels like you’re pulling out teeth watching a game. Last night’s 2-1 overtime win over the Calgary Flames didn’t come easy, but it was a crucial two points for the Devils, who have now won three of their last four games.

It may not have been the prettiest win, but the Devils played well and deserved the two points. Here are some key takeaways ahead of tonight’s tilt against the Edmonton Oilers.

Hämeenaho Impresses in NHL Debut

It was a long time coming, but head coach Sheldon Keefe finally took Luke Glendening out of the lineup. In his place came Lenni Hämeenaho, and he showed why he’s one of the organization’s best prospects.

Hämeenaho did not look out of place in his NHL debut. He fired the Devils’ first shot on goal of the game, and it was a quality chance just before the Devils went on a power play.

Hämeenaho did not come away with a point last night, but he probably should have had a couple of assists in the second period.

First, he made a great cross-ice pass to Brenden Dillon, who had space at the point. Dillon took a couple of strides forward and got a shot on net, but Devin Cooley made the save.

A few shifts later, Hämeenaho set up Jack Hughes for a grade-A chance after Dougie Hamilton forced a turnover at the blue line. Unfortunately, Hughes didn’t get much on the shot. If he were fully healthy, that would have probably been a goal.

Still, Hämeenaho showed no hesitation in the offensive zone. Even defensively, he had a couple of key shot blocks, one of which stung him toward the end of the second period.

Keefe placed Hämeenaho on the third line with Cody Glass and Arseny Gritsyuk, and their results as a trio were excellent:

• Shot attempts: 13-7

• Expected goals share (xG%): 81.4 percent

• Scoring chances: 7-0

• High-danger chances: 3-0

They were arguably the Devils’ best line. Granted, it was against a weaker opponent, but Hämeenaho showed he may be NHL-ready. We’ll see how he holds up against a tougher team in the Oilers tonight, but he was a breath of fresh air.

Markström & Devils’ Defense Get the Job Done

Before last night, the Devils’ defense had been quite leaky over their previous ten games, allowing just about 2.77 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five.

The Flames are not exactly rich with offensive juggernauts, but the Devils played a sound defensive game. They allowed just six high-danger chances at five-on-five, four of which came in the third period. They also allowed just 1.1 expected goals at five-on-five, and their penalty kill was excellent, as it went 4/4.

That helped Jacob Markström, who had a nice bounce-back performance after a rough night against the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend. He faced just one high-danger shot and made 21 saves on 22 shots while stopping 0.47 goals above expected.

I am a bit surprised that Natural Stat Trick counted Nazem Kadri’s goal as a low-danger shot. I also thought that was close to being goaltender interference, but I’m not willing to go down that rabbit hole any further than that.

Regardless, Markström was in control of his net. Rebound control can be an issue for him, but he was not leaving any juicy rebounds for Flames attackers; he did not record a single rebound shot against.

The Devils need to score more goals, so that they’re not putting so much pressure on their goaltenders and defense, but it’s hard to complain about that effort from Markström and the team in front of him.

A Competent 4th Line

A fourth line should not be as much of a liability as it’s been for the Devils this season, but it has been. That’s largely due to Glendening, who has been one of the worst forwards in the NHL.

Glendening had an xG% of 35.62 coming into yesterday’s game, and the Devils had been outscored 18-6 when he was on the ice. Keefe needed to scratch him, and he made the right decision.

I don’t know if I love Paul Cotter as a center long-term, but he did provide an upgrade with Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown on his wings.

This trio finished with an xG% of 67.03. They weren’t on the ice for a goal for or against, but they won their minutes, and that’s all you need from a fourth line. They don’t need to score that often, but win your minutes and grind your opponents down, and it helps the rest of the lineup. That was not the case with Glendening for too long, so Keefe needs to keep him out of the lineup.

Quick Hits

• That was a much-needed win for the Devils, but the main storyline was losing Luke Hughes, who may have dislocated his shoulder. Keefe said he still needs to be evaluated, but he will miss time for sure. Hughes was having an excellent game at the time of his injury (94.52 xG%) and had been playing better over the last few games. We’ll see what the timeline is, but it could affect what the Devils decide to do with Hamilton, who’s been in the rumor mill.

• If Hughes goes on season-ending LTIR and the Devils keep Hamilton, they must move on from Ondřej Palát; according to Pierre LeBrun, it’s at the top of the list. There’s no way around it, but he’s an anchor on whichever line Keefe puts him on. He returned to a unit with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer yesterday, but they got caved in, finishing with an xG% of 29.77. Palát also had the worst xG% among Devils skaters (17.23 percent). The top six would look so much better without him.

• Jack Hughes may have only collected a single assist, but he was buzzing last night. He finished with seven shots on goal, 10 shot attempts, nine scoring chances and three high-danger chances at all strengths. The goals will start coming for him if he continues to produce that kind of volume and quality. It’s just a matter of time.

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Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick

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